


Cast Away

by tariana



Category: NSYNC
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 18:38:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15516090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tariana/pseuds/tariana
Summary: So I wrote a lot of little scenes, some AUs, with NSYNC. This is one of them.





	Cast Away

Joey would always remember, later, how calm it had been.

Only azure sky and cerulean ocean as far as the eye could see in all directions.

Only the sea, the sky, and the five of them.

Chris was below-deck, as was Justin. JC and Lance were relaxing, sunning themselves, holding hands and doing all the things most couples take for granted.

Joey himself was in control of the boat, guiding it over the glassy surface of the water.

JC laughed at something Lance said, and Joey turned to watch them for a few moments, almost but not quite wistful.

He knew their relationship was far from perfect-- he had, after all, lived through some of their fights-- but he also knew that what JC and Lance shared was extremely rare.

"Hey, JC," Joey said.

"Yeah?" JC swatted Lance with his hand, and Lance laughed.

"What time's it?"

"Uh... 3:00."

Joey estimated that they were about two hours away from the small island they'd rented for the week.

Imagine, he thought, renting a fucking *island*.

At 3:00, they were sailing toward a week of solitude, a much-needed break from the crowds and the hype and the craziness.

At 3:30, they were fighting for their lives.

The storm had come up quickly, almost surreal in its speed. It dashed the small pleasure boat around like a toy boat in a child's splash-filled bath.

Squinting into the rain, Joey thought he could see a glimpse of green -- might they be closer to their island than he'd originally thought?

He was given something more important to concentrate upon, however, when Justin was swept overboard by a wave. One second the blond man was standing on deck, fright plain in his bright blue eyes, and the next, he was gone.

"Justin!" JC's cry split the air, and Joey gave up on his futile attempts at guiding the boat, joining the other three, leaning over the rail, peering out into the black water, searching for their friend.

Justin's head broke the surface of the roiling water for a brief second before he was sucked back down, and Lance pointed frantically.

"There! There he is!"

Abruptly, the boat rocked sharply underneath their feet, teetered, barely upright, and then went over.

Joey felt the water trying to suck him down, to keep him under, and he kicked powerfully toward the surface, knowing he had to get up. Up was air, which brought with it life.

Down was only dark water and death.

Drawing in a gasping breath as he surfaced, Joey looked around, seeing the wreckage of what had been their boat. Seconds later, Lance surfaced, followed quickly by JC and, an interminable twenty seconds or so later, by Chris.

He didn't see Justin.

Joey was beginning to panic, thinking irrationally about the fate of the group -- 'We can't very well be SYNC!', when Justin finally surfaced near Joey.

The five young men swam toward each other, converging at a large piece of floating wood that had been part of the deck. Clinging tightly to it, they looked around them.

JC suddenly let go of their stronghold, swimming away. He came back a few moments later, dragging a partially-inflated raft.

The young men all piled on, nearly capsizing it, and took stock of the situation.

Chris summed Joey's feelings up perfectly when he said, "This is SO not good."


End file.
